My Blended Family

My life is a perfectly blended swirl of all the things I love and all the things I am learning to appreciate. No matter how wonderful things are, there is always room to grow in gratitude. I truly have so much for which I am thankful and, at the top of the list is my amazing family.

When my husband and I got together over a decade ago, we had already known one another from our days as young teens. At nearly 38 years old, I was blending my two beautiful boys into a new relationship and later, we added a little spice to our wonderful mix with a daughter we had together. It has been an adventure, just as relationships are for all families, blended or not. Life is a day-by-day journey into love, and I love exploring all the ways I can express myself and my love.

My family also expresses great love. One way is in their gift-giving. Recently, in celebration of my wonder-filled birthday, I received so many sweet and tender acknowledgements. In addition to being celebrated with an awesome dinner outing and special gifts, my family honored me with a lovely surprise that I would use literally every day. Best of all, I use it to share my heart with them.

I received a new Nutri-Ninja Blender! I can’t say enough about how magnificent this powerful addition to my kitchen has been. I can only tell you that I love it, and I am so thankful for it in many ways. I love making my morning smoothies, and my afternoon smoothies, and my later-in-the-day smoothies, and everything else I can whip up in a jiffy. Most of all, I love making special requests for my husband and children. It makes my heart sing to create something healthy and filled to the brim with love and attention, uniquely for each one of them.

Some choose berries, some choose nut butters, others choose add-ins like vegan protein and greens, while still others like juices verses nut milks. No matter their cravings, it is my great pleasure to blend away! It’s one of my favorite things to do. This is one birthday gift that keeps on giving and, in that spirit, I would like to give something to you. I am happy to share one of my favorite Green Smoothie Recipes. A gift from my heart to yours.

This is a simple recipe and, it’s great for introducing Green Smoothies to your family. The plus of this recipe is that it tastes a lot like a vanilla milkshake!

Shimmering ‘Vanilla Shake’ Green Smoothie

Ingredients:

1/2 cup of coconut milk

1/2 cup cold filtered water

1 cup frozen mango chunks

1 cup or a handful of spinach

1 tsp. vanilla extract or fresh vanilla bean

1 Tbs. sweetener like maple syrup, agave, or honey (my favorite is the maple syrup for this recipe)

*OPTIONAL~Add a scoop of your favorite plant protein, vanilla flavored to keep it tasting like a vanilla milkshake.

TIP: Freeze your coconut milk in an ice cube tray and use the cubes any time you want to add a little coconut flavor to any of your smoothie creations.

Making something with my family in mind is one way of being mindful. It is much like a meditation or silent prayer. When I am lovingly focused on my actions, it is an offering of my heart. I imagine that when I give love and attention to my creations, they are delivered to the heart of another, a Love Letter shared between two souls.